Sadly, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a big disappointment.
Let's face it; video games derived from movies are oftentimes bound for disaster. A blockbuster in Hollywood almost never equates to a sure fire hit in the gaming world. However, there are exceptions to the rule, as some of these games will build upon an existing movie franchise, crafting their own unique stories while keeping true to its source material. Ghostbusters: The Video Game can easily be classified as one of those games.
The game takes place during Thanksgiving 1991, two years after the events in Ghostbusters II. You'll play the role of a nameless and mute rookie, hired by Egon and Ray to test out some brand new equipment the duo has been working on, which basically marks you as a human guinea pig. You'll soon meet up with the rest of the Ghostbusters, namely Peter and Winston, as you'll set out to stop another disaster of biblical proportions when Gozer the Gozarian returns to wreck havoc upon New York City. Although the story goes a bit deeper than that, the script, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, isn't all that memorable and feels somewhat recycled from the previous movies. Most of the original cast members return to lend their voices to their pixelated counterparts and, although they do a pretty decent job throughout the game, some of the dialog will come off as if it were recited instead of acted. The exclamations of your fellow Ghostbusters during combat can get very annoying, as they'll constantly repeat the same thing over and over again. On the graphical side of things, the game's cut scenes look very good, but its gameplay sequences can be underwhelming at times. In some instances, lip-sync is off, making it look like those very badly dubbed Japanese Kung-Fu movies. During cut scenes, the main characters look strikingly similar to their real-life counterparts, but when it comes down to live action, they look rubbery and stretched out, which makes it stand out as an average looking game.
As far as gameplay goes, Ghostbusters can be qualified as a third-person shooter with a twist. Since you're testing out equipment for the boys, you'll be outfitted with some experimental "weapons" to help out in your ghost bustin', which all come with primary and secondary fire. Your legendary proton pack will be outfitted with new tricks to help you trap and catch these nasty spooks, such as stasis beams, positively charged slime and concussion blasts. You can also use these abilities to solve some of the game's relatively easy puzzles which block your progression. Capturing ghosts never gets old, as it's just great fun to set a trap, blast them until they're weak enough and then wrangle them towards their new home. Watching them trying to fight and claw their way out of your grip is very well rendered too. However, some of the spooks you encounter will need to be disintegrated instead of captured, and this is where the game loses its sparkle. Blasting a ghost into oblivion becomes very repetitive and boring after the first couple of hours, as it doesn't feel like standard Ghostbusters fare at all.
The guys will be accompanying you during most of the game and will prove quite helpful in battle, especially since you'll be getting knocked down by ghosts more often than a bowling pin. I found this particular aspect of the game to be quite frustrating, especially while playing on a higher difficulty level. To be quite honest, I'd rather die and respawn instead of being knocked down ad nauseam. With that said, you should be done with the main story within 7 or 8 hours with no real incentive on going back to it, unless you want to find all of the collectibles scattered throughout its linear levels. However, there is a surprisingly good multiplayer element to Ghostbusters which might make you come back for more. You can party it up with three other players and take on six different job types, which will have you attack ghosts one at a time or go through a mini-campaign mode, chasing down most wanted spooks and making some serious moolah in the process. This sets the game's multiplayer mode apart from others and makes it a real joy to play.
It is quite obvious that publisher Atari and developer Terminal Reality created this game with nostalgia in mind. There's no denying that it's a big bundle of fan service for those of us who have been craving something new from the franchise. I must admit that I had a big smile on my face and goosebumps on my arms when I heard Ray Parker Jr's ghostbustin' anthem in the opening scene, or when I chased Slimer throughout the Sedgwick Hotel, or even when I fought the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in Times Square. But sadly, that wasn't enough to hide the fact that this is a very ordinary game. For a franchise that spawned two hilarious movies, this game wasn't all that funny. There weren't any laugh out loud moments to be had here, only chuckles and grins, which painfully brings to mind that making a funny video game isn't easy, even when you have comedic powerhouses like Aykroyd and Ramis behind it.
However, the game isn't a total letdown by any means. The voice acting is good, capturing ghosts is fun and the multiplayer is a very pleasant surprise. Fans might be a bit disappointed, but it's still better than nothing, right?
